Mayorkas warns Latin American leaders of Beijing’s technology influence | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Biden administration sees Chinese investments in Latin America as a potential precursor to cyber operations.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/mayorkas-latin-america-china\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mayorkas warns Latin American leaders of Beijing's technology influence\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Biden administration sees Chinese investments in Latin America as a potential precursor to cyber operations.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/mayorkas-latin-america-china\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-28T18:36:35+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" 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<button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.056420233463\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.117647058824\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/geopolitics\/\"> <span>Geopolitics<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The Biden administration sees Chinese investments in Latin America as a potential precursor to cyber operations. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence.jpg?resize=640%2C447&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence-1.jpg?resize=300,210 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence-1.jpg?resize=768,536 768w, 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https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence-1.jpg?resize=1207,843 1207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 966px) 100vw, 966px\"><figcaption> US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a joint news conference with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Mexican Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez at the State Department in Washington on October 13. Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY\/AFP via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"26.909871244635\"><body readability=\"55.040681173132\"><\/p>\n<p>Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned leaders from Latin American countries on Thursday that Beijing\u2019s attempts to gain influence via infrastructure partnerships and low-cost technology investments comes with risks that China may exploit the systems it helps finance. <\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a first-of-its-kind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/WHCC2023\">Western Hemisphere Cyber Conference<\/a>, Mayorkas warned that China\u2019s prices are \u201ctoo good to be true\u201d and that countries in Latin America face a difficult choice about accepting low-cost investments now in exchange for cybersecurity risks in the long term, or what Mayorkas described as \u201ca choice between speed and sovereignty, a choice between vulnerability and security, a choice between up front affordability and the cost of rebuilding after a devastating cyber attack made possible by high-risk hardware and software.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mayorkas\u2019s comments come amid growing concern in Washington about Beijing\u2019s growing influence in Latin America and the risk that low-cost Chinese hardware investments, including to build 5G networks, could be used to enable Chinese cyberattacks. <\/p>\n<p>The U.S. \u201cdoes not seek to force your hand,\u201d but local leaders must \u201cdecide which choice best delivers what your countries need,\u201d Mayorkas told the representatives of 20 Latin American countries in attendance. \u201cIt is critical that we not give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The two-day conference hosted at the Organization of American States drew top U.S. cybersecurity officials, including Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly and Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger. <\/p>\n<p>Biden administration officials caution that Chinese cyber operations are growing increasingly advanced and see Latin American infrastructure as a target of Chinese hackers. DHS\u2019s recent homeland threats report <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/dhs-homeland-threat-assessment\/\">warned<\/a> that Chinese hacking groups are developing more bespoke tools to target critical infrastructure, such as railways and pipelines.<\/p>\n<p>Recent reports from cybersecurity firms such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mandiant.com\/resources\/blog\/apt40-examining-a-china-nexus-espionage-actor\">Mandiant<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.recordedfuture.com\/china-digital-colonialism-espionage-silk-road\">Recorded Future <\/a>have documented instances of Chinese hackers targeting industrial sectors related to Chinese infrastructure projects, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Digital Silk Road.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Mayorkas warned that Latin American countries that accept Chinese aid are likely to be targeted by similar operations, pointing to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-malaysia-cyber\/china-linked-cyberattacks-likely-as-malaysia-reviews-projects-security-firm-idUSKBN1L00X8\">2017 cyberattack<\/a> targeting Malaysia that was likely triggered by that government\u2019s decision to consider cancelling a Chinese-backed rail project. <\/p>\n<p>Biden administration officials are eager to present Washington as an alternative, more reliable partner than Beijing, including by providing cybersecurity assistance. Though U.S. aid pales in scale compared to what Beijing can offer, Mayorkas pointed to a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-announces-25-million-in-cybersecurity-aid-to-costa-rica\/\">recent payment of $25 million<\/a> in assistance to Costa Rica after a ransomware attack crippled the government there as \u201cone example of what that support looks like and what it can look like.\u201d The U.S. has previously issued similar assistance to Albania following Iranian cyberattacks in February.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> 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{"id":1788,"date":"2023-09-28T18:36:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T18:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=77392"},"modified":"2023-09-28T18:36:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T18:36:35","slug":"mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2023\/09\/28\/mayorkas-warns-latin-american-leaders-of-beijings-technology-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayorkas warns Latin American leaders of Beijing\u2019s technology influence"},"content":{"rendered":"